(18/02/2020) – Sri Lanka carried -out an Island-wide raid on substandard and unauthorised lubricants products as the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) decided to investigate the importation, production, distribution and sale of lubricants and related products in Sri Lanka due to increase number of consumer complaints on low-quality lubricants in the market.

Accordingly, the raids on substandard and unauthorised lubricants products will be continuously carried-out  by CAA with the assistance of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the shadow regulator of the lubricant market of Sri Lanka.

A large number of substandard and unauthorised lubricants products were seized in 15 raids yesterday (17^th Feb 2020) and the value of the products is estimated to be around 2.5 million rupees.

Petroleum resources development section has granted legal approval for 13 companies to import, manufacture, distribute and sell lubricant and related products under 22 brand names. However, it has been identified that varieties of lubricants under unauthorized brands and companies have been released to the market illegally. 

These products have been identified as very low in quality and the use of these products will cause defects in vehicle engines in a short period of time that can result in importing spare parts to a higher price that impacts the foreign exchange of the country. The substandard and unauthorised lubricants products have caused great inconvenience to the public while the government of Sri Lanka also had lost a huge amount of tax due to the illegal market expansion of low-quality lubricants.

The raid was carried out by the Assistant Director of the Consumer Affairs Authority (Western Province), Investigation officers of CAA with the assistance of officials of the PUCSL.

The joined press release is attached herewith- Sinhala.